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Computational complexity and black hole horizons
Author(s) -
Susskind Leonard
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
fortschritte der physik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.469
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1521-3978
pISSN - 0015-8208
DOI - 10.1002/prop.201500092
Subject(s) - firewall (physics) , computational complexity theory , black hole (networking) , scrambling , event horizon , computer science , horizon , theoretical computer science , theoretical physics , physics , algorithm , extremal black hole , computer security , charged black hole , astronomy , routing protocol , network packet , link state routing protocol
Computational complexity is essential to understanding the properties of black hole horizons. The problem of Alice creating a firewall behind the horizon of Bob's black hole is a problem of computational complexity. In general we find that while creating firewalls is possible, it is extremely difficult and probably impossible for black holes that form in sudden collapse, and then evaporate. On the other hand if the radiation is bottled up then after an exponentially long period of time firewalls may be common. It is possible that gravity will provide tools to study problems of complexity; especially the range of complexity between scrambling and exponential complexity.